Tools: Self-Advocacy
The Tools You Need
These are our favorite resources we've gathered to incorporate into our work aimed at helping people with disabilities achieve their employment goals.
Dude, Where’s my Transition Plan?Multiple transition planning worksheets as well as checklists and discussions of self-advocacy that speak directly to youth with disabilities, From PEATC, the PTI for Virginia.
Let’s Get To Work – Self-Determination HandbookProvides information and resources related to the development of student engagement, self-determination, and self-advocacy and leadership skills.
Georgia Transition Manual – Self DeterminationA comprehensive self-determination and self-advocacy guide for students with disabilities.
Connecticut’s Stepping Forward – Self-Advocacy GuideCreated for middle and high school students with disabilities as an instructional tool for the development of self-advocacy skills and transition planning.
Personal Preferences Indicator: A Guide for PlanningA guide to learn the personal preferences of a person with a developmental disability. From the University of Oklahoma.
In the Driver’s Seat: Six Workshops to Help with Transition Planning and Self Advocacy for Youth with Special NeedsYouth experience hands-on learning that helps them achieve adult, life goals. With encouragement and support, young adults identify their skills, interests, and needs, and work toward improving their ability to self-advocate. From the Vermont Family Network.
Roadtrip NationStories of people who overcame challenges and defined success for themselves, like Gary Vaynerchuk, John Legend, Michelle Obama, Joe Rogan, and more.
Map It: What Comes Next ModuleProvides lesson plans, materials, and resources needed for educators and professionals to actively engage and guide students in the development of their self-determination and self-advocacy skills. From the Described and Captioned Media Program.
Building Self-Advocacy and Self-Care Management SkillsSuggestions and insights for parents to build their youth’s self-advocacy skills at home, especially with respect to health care and management. Includes videos. From the PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment.
ME! Lessons for Teaching Self-Awareness & Self-Advocacy.Developed to help educators teach students critical transition skills. Lessons include self-advocacy, learning rights, improving communication skills. From the Zarrow Center for Learning Enrichment, University of Oklahoma.
Self-Advocacy: Tips for TeensA short tip sheet to learn about self-advocacy. At the bottom, enjoy the two videos of youth with disabilities talking about their own self-advocacy. From the Utah Parent Center.
Whose Future Is It Anyway?Helps prepare students for their IEP meetings and gain self-determination skills. Comes with a Coach’s Guide that outlines the lessons, how to teach them, the roles of the students and teachers, as well as expected outcomes. Developed by The Center for Parent Information & Resources (CPIR).
Connect to a MentorYouth who have mentors are more likely to graduate from high school, have improved soft skills, and greater self-confidence. And these are just a few of the benefits!
Healthy dating and relationshipsLoveisrespect is the ultimate resource to empower youth to prevent and end dating abuse. It is a project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline.